Inpex Charged with Under-Reporting Emissions at Australian LNG Plant

Australian authorities have taken Japanese energy giant Inpex to court over alleged under-reporting of emissions from its Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Darwin. The charges cover a five-year period, from 2019 to 2024, during which the company allegedly failed to report benzene and toluene emissions accurately.

The environmental regulator in Australia's Northern Territory made the charges after an internal review of Inpex's operations at the Ichthys LNG plant. The review was prompted by Inpex's own disclosure in October that it had under-reported emissions at the facility.

The regulator requires regular annual reports from Inpex on total air emissions, but the company allegedly failed to meet this requirement. As a result, the regulator has introduced new rules for both Ichthys LNG and Santos' Darwin LNG facilities, including the installation of continuous emissions monitoring equipment.